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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> as the international criminal court investigates events in libya, president obama tells colonel gaddafi -- >> colonel gaddafi needs to step down from power and leave. >> the rebels holding their ground. two hundred thousand migrant workers have now fled libya. >> welcome to our viewers in america and around the globe. the turmoil in libya continues. they have launched fresh attacks in the east of the country. at a the hague, the prosecutor

for the international criminal court has confirmed he will investigate muammar gaddafi and his inner circle for crimes against humanity. president obama again demanded that the embattled libyan leaders step down. >> the violence must stop. muammar gaddafi has lost legitimacy to lead, and he must leave. those who perpetrate violence against the libyan people will be held accountable. the aspirations of the libyan people our freedom, democracy and dignity. and they must be met. >> we will have more from washington shortly. paris, we have this report from -- first, we have this report on the counterattack. >> after yesterday's, rebel volunteers were in a high state of nervousness. after an air raid on the town by

planes from colonel gaddafi's air force, the nervousness increased. one person let off a grenade. for the most part, these are not trained soldiers. discipline is not existence -- is non-existent. these are remarkable pictures from yesterday's battle. they were shot by a rebel soldier and there is no reason to doubt their authenticity. and there's superiority is sometimes told, but the rebel morale is far higher, and that is what counts. the air force, still loyal to colonel gaddafi, played a part in the fighting. half a dozen people were killed on the rebel side. this morning, one men went to the local hospital to get news of his missing son.

he found his body there. >> he is my son. >> [shouting] >> later, funerals took place of several of the dead. the number of casualties was surprisingly small, a reminder of the limited scope of this war, which involves only a few hundred people altogether. the rebel command structure is pretty vague. a senior officer has been sent down to take control. he told me the rebels will need to consolidate their forces before they can launch bearish on defenses. -- launched their own defenses. he is congratulating the ragtag army when they realize that two prisoners are inside the vehicle. they wanted to get them out and

lynch them. in the end, he managed to get the prisoners to safety. >> we drove on to the new front line, 30 miles further west. the burned out vehicles were left by the roadside as gaddafi's men escaped. >> this is the front line. the check point here is the third the rebels have reached in this strange laura. -- this is strange war. up ahead is where colonel gaddafi's men were beaten back after their defeat last night. there is nothing between hearing -- between year-end there but desert. -- here and there but a desert. the rebels intend to move on to gaddafi's next stronghold. they feel sure they can do it.

>> our correspondent in washington says there has been a change in washington's language. >> the message from president obama today was much harsher, talking about the gaddafi must leave now. there was also a direct threat to anyone associated with this government, basically saying, if you are responsible for violence we will bring you to account. the big question is what the united states can actually do about libya short of using direct military force. we heard president obama pimm talk about preparing a full range of options. -- president obama talk about preparing a full range of options. the subtext is, if pushed to that point, but that is certainly not where the government is at this moment. it is a less preferred option. there has been a lot of talk about the no-fly zone over libya. that would require military

action. the united states is not ruling that option out, but is very reluctant to commit to it. the reason for that is that the united states has commitments elsewhere, and also, even if military action is done in cooperation it with other military powers in europe, how will it be perceived by people in the middle east? >> and egyptian sarah jennings is inptian upsurge surgeon eastern libya. i spoke to him earlier and asked how long he had been there and what work he was doing. >> i have been in libya for a week now. we are offering of medical and surgical help to the libyan people that have been injured. >> use a week.

have you come as part of a group -- you say we. have you come as part of a group? >> ps, we are working in a medical facility -- yes, we're working in a medical facility. >> can you describe what you have seen? >> we have received several patients. 14 people got killed. we received them here as well as 11 injured people. the injuries ranged from gunshot wounds as well as, we had a patient who lost his right leg from a rocket launcher. we have people who had been shot by anti-aircraft. we tried to get several bullets out of several patients. luckily, some injured people

survived the attack. >> what sort of conditions are you working in? what sort of resources and supplies do you have? >> we have a laser optics. [unintelligible] unfortunately, it is the army medical facility we currently have. -- only medical facility we currently have. >> aid workers and charities are struggling to cope with the vast number of people streaming out of libya. we followed some refugees to

managed to find a way home. >> it is the time of change. for these men, it also means cold, hunger and uncertainty. 90,000 foreigners have been driven across this border. some have spent a week just trying to get to this point. their smiles and say it all. they are on above us a, bound for an airport, and a ticket -- on a bus, bound for an airport and a ticket satco back home. and there is no chaos or panic here, just released and astonishing patients. the turmoil in libya has unleashed a mass migration across the border into tunisia.

britain and other european nations are helping to end next hundreds of people at at time. you cannot normally fly directly from year to egypt, but today, more than 60 flights are heading that way. tunisia is recovering from its own revolution. this man is heading home to cairo on a flight paid for by britain. he thanks god, tunisia and the british government for helping him. it is a common sentiment. >> thank you for britain. very, very, very thank you. >> this air hostess is with to uneasy and airlines. today, she is an 8 -- with tunisian airlines.

today, she is an aid worker. >> we need help. we cannot do everything alone. >> the final leg of their journey to freedom has begun. pretty remarkable scene when a british holiday firm is set to provide provisions for refugees. with the violence in libya continuing, this exodus shows no sign of abating. >> one other libya and related story, the minister of economics has resigned over his links to colonel gaddafi. he said he had to quit. he accepted 300,000 pounds from a firm run by a one of gaddafi's sons. another person said he will stay in office until new

elections are held in july. for all of the latest news on the situation in libya, head to bbc.com, where you will find a minute to minute coverage and analysis. troops in ivory coast shot dead at least six women. hundreds were taking part in a demonstration when they were approved -- when they were under fire. john james reports. >> this place has been nicknamed baghdad.

a peaceful protest by women on thursday was broken up when the police fired live rounds into the crowd, killing several women. over the past few days, the district has seen increasingly heavy gunfire as the president's ofces try to gain respecontrol the area. >> i was cooking outside and there was shooting several times. i decided to move my children and hide them in the house. i did not want anything bad happening to them. >> that sort of violence has prompted hundreds of thousands to flee, many taking what few possessions they can carry to relatives elsewhere in the city. >> it has been terrible. gunfire during the night and day. some chose to move back to the

villages very early in the morning. >> new police have been obstructed in their patrols around the city. dead bodies littered the streets. many fear the country is once again sliding towards civil war. abc news, ivory coast. -- bbc news, ivory coast. >> these are the headlines. fighting continues in libya. president obama has called on colonel gaddafi to stand down. the criminal court has decided to investigate it crimes against humanity have been ordered by libyan officials. tens of thousands of migrant workers have fled libya. the u.s., britain and tunisia

are providing planes. egypt is providing ships. the u.k. in the last hour, the opposition labour party has won the election in the north of england, taking 61% of the vote. parts of the governing coalition, the liberal democrats, the war's second in the general election last year, where six -- who were second in the general election last year, 6th.were >> the labor party has replaced a man convicted of using parliamentary expenses. a paratrooper, an officer in the british army, last year's serving in afghanistan is the new m p year in south and york sure -- here in south yorkshire

earning. anything less would of been embarrassing. it has been a very bad night for the liberal democrats. they have slipped from second place in the general election last year to 6th, barely mastering 1000 votes for their candidate. it has been embarrassing for him personally and humiliating for the liberal democrats the will see this as the first sign of what they can expect in some parts of the u.k. as the cup that the government, the coalition government -- the cuts that the coalition government is proposing take affect. >> egypt has a new prime minister. he took power days before

mubarak was forced from power. he took part in the protests against mubarak. three weeks on, there is evidence that activists who took part in peaceful protests have been beaten and put in prison by the same army that promised to protect them. >> there are still tanks on the streets in egypt. the army likes it soft reputation of supporting the people and helping the revolution. after dark, they deal with protesters in a different way. >> stopped filming, give me the camera, the soldiers says. why are you keeping your brothers? the crowd shouts back. this man was picked up that night. he was beaten and arrested. today, outside a prison in cairo, his family and other families demanded to see their sons. the military did not want to

film them before year their story. but his brother told us how he had already been put on trial and sentenced to five years in jail. it was a three minute hearing, he told me, with no lawyers or witnesses, and no chance to appeal. it is not right, not legal. the revolution brought president mubarak goes a role to an end after three decades -- mubarak's rule to an end after three decades. the prime minister's step down -- prime minister stepped down, replaced by a foreign minister who supported the revolution. >> we wait for the army.

>> we want human rights in egypt. that will not absolutely change unless you change the old regime. >> there was a huge sense of excitement when people forest -- forced mubarak to step down. the military says they're doing what they can to move to a civilian government as fast as possible, but that is not quickly enough for the people here. >> the united states and mexico have reached an agreement hoped to end a 20 year dispute about mexican trucks on u.s. highways. there have been increasing tensions between the two nations. the announcement of the deal comes only two weeks after the killing of americans in mexico and an increase in the mexican war on drugs, both things have

soured the relationship between the nations. >> like on neighbors, president obama and president calderón meet often. as the drug war has worsened, so have relations. they were trying to patch things up. >> we are very mindful that the battle president calderón is fighting inside of mexico is not just his battle. it is also ours. we have to take responsibility just as he is taking responsibility. that is true with respect to guns flowing from north to south and cash flowing from north to south. >> just this week, a drug hit men shot four bodyguards of a local police chief. druggist -- drug gangs account for almost all of the cocaine in the u.s.. american officials the been

highly critical of mexico's efforts to stop the trade. a secret state department cable complained of widespread corruption and a siege mentality within mexican law-enforcement agencies. a warrant prosecution rates -- it warned that prosecution rate for a dismal. many other tables enraged the mexican leader. today, he and -- many other cables and raged -- enraged the mexican leader. today, he and president obama were trying to look like friends again. last month, the fatal shooting of an immigration agent in northern mexico made things much harder. the obama administration is considering forming the many other americans working to stem illegal -- considering f arming the many other americans

working there to stem illegal immigration. >> they cannot carry weapons or undertake operational tasks. >> what about the u.s. doing more to curb the gun trade on its side of the border, the mexicans say? at least have the weapons they see originated in the united states. as long as american demand for drugs continues, they say, so will the war. >> the united states says it has learned that a former fbi agent who disappeared four years ago in iran is alive. hillary clinton said robert levinson that is -- hillary clinton said that robert levinson is being held somewhere in asia. more than $50,000 -- more than

50,000 cars are being recalled because of problems in the fuel tanks due to spiders. the company will spray the been sex out of the system. -- the insects out of the system. one of russia's most iconic buildings is said to be nearing completion. they are using a medieval recipes to bring the building back to its formal lorre. -- former glory. >> builders and decorators are working around the clock to get to this long restoration project closer to completion. far more than a fresh coat of paint is needed year.

a medieval concoction is being used to apply gold leaf. this had become a crumbling building. this was the theater's sinking into the ground. >> reconstruction and restoration of one of the main symbols of russia is of course a very difficult process. the key task for us was to keep the building intact. we managed to do this banks to ingenious construction solution in which the building was suspended in the air and the foundation was taken away by hand. >> the ballet and opera house were built in 1776. it suffered years of neglect during soviet times. the main stage has been closed since 2005 for restoration work. it was meant to reopen three years later. there have been huge delays. it is now expected to be completed this october. the theater is being revived to

its former glory. ed this is one of the rooms that has had a face lift. there is still work to do. russian authorities hope they remain on track for an oct. opening. >> now something slightly different. the teenager epicenter of a sex scandal involving the italian has attended the vienna opera ball at the invitation of richard lugar. this has caused austrian newspapers to put libya on the back pages. she has admitted she cannot walz. she can only belly dance. you can get all of the news featured in this bulletin on our website.

including other things going on in libya. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click-to-play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global financial strength to work for a wide range of

companies. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles. presented by kcet los angeles.